FAQ
Hydrantula is the only low-cost 3D marine concrete frame technology. Unlike piles, up to 35% of all work can be done inside workshop. And about 90% of the total work is dry. And are carried out on shore without involving heavy machinery or barges. Hydrantula installation is virtually silent and less susceptible to the vagaries of the weather. Hydrantula is almost insensitive to the type of bottom soil
HYDRANTULA develops, manufactures and sells permanent [non-removable] formwork for casting concrete underwater or in the tide zone. The ready-to-cast concrete formwork consists of original connecting elements [fittings or nodes] and beams made of regular HDPE plumbing Hydrantula formwork is usually not watertight and sinks slowly. If desired, water in cavity can be later replaced by freshwater or immediately forcibly flooded using fresh water. However, the formwork «holds» the concrete well enough, this approach reduces the risk of air traps and non-spills of concrete. The formwork is filled by displacing water with heavier concrete.Hydrantula formwork is usually not watertight and sinks slowly. If desired, water in cavity can be later replaced by freshwater or immediately forcibly flooded using fresh water. However, the formwork «holds» the concrete well enough, this approach reduces the risk of air traps and non-spills of concrete. The formwork is filled by displacing water with heavier concrete.
We sell technology. In a narrow sense, we only sell fittings = connecting nodes of the 3D frame. Beams are made from standard plumbing pipes; sea concrete, rebar and microfiber are also widely available mass products and purchased locally
An empty formwork is fully assembled on the shore, and later is moved as ONE PIECE to site [aquatorial by a crane or barge. A concrete pipe must be connected to one of the port [5½» groovelock] before drowing of frame.
Concreting is carried out under water.
Hydrantula formwork is usually not watertight and sinks slowly. If desired, water in cavity can be later replaced by freshwater or immediately forcibly flooded using fresh water. However, the formwork «holds» the concrete well enough, this approach reduces the risk of air traps and non-spills of concrete. The formwork is filled by displacing water with heavier concrete.All HYDRANTULA designs are scalable. They don't have a fixed 3D cell size, is there only a constant aspect ratios. The final dimensions are chosen by the customer, according to their needs and the characteristics of the site. The size of our formwork structure is continuously adjustable over a wide range due to the length of the beams. The lengths of all beams vary proportionally.
Each Hydrantula fitting has a 5½» or 4½» Groovelock connection port. Some fittings additionally have a Camlock 3» (75mm) connector. The concrete pipe cast iron or hose DIN125/100 is connected using a standard clamp to connector on fitting. Concrete is then pumped under pressure into the formwork cavity. Concrete has a density of about 1900 kg/m and can displace water from the formwork if concreting is carried out «from bottom to top» and with some overflow. Accordingly, the concrete pipeline must be connected to the bottom point of the structure.
With Butt/socket welding, by manual extruder, rivets, fixtures, fasteners.
By default [from the factoryl, all sockets and sleeves are disconnected. Installers drill with crowns only at the sleeves and sleeves that will be involved in this very node of the structure (in place). Thus, the same fitting may have a different set of pipes to be connected
Mono-fitting is a universal fitting, when only one fitting model is enough to assemble the entire structure (Y4, S3, S5, X31)
Bi-fitting - a set of 2 fittings sufficient to assemble the entire structure (B61+B62; L2+L1; R3+R1; U45+M11). Often boundary between bi-fitting and mono-fitting is not sharp and clear. For example, the entire structure can be assembled not only from a mixture of L2 +L1, but also from L2 alone (without L1) or from L1 (without L2). The same situation applies to R3 (without R1) and vice versa. Or B61 (without B62) or B62 (without B61).
Service fittings are fittings that provide convenient connection of structures with concrete pumps - D2 and D3. As a rule, the fitting can be connected to the concrete pump by a regular concrete pipeline (cast-iron or hose). However, when concreting structures at a great distance from the shore, flushing and evacuation of the concrete pipeline become difficult. And using one-time (sacrificial) HDPE pipe concrete pipeline is an inexpensive and uncomplicated alternative. Fittings D2 and D3 allow you to quickly and inexpensively produce a concrete pipeline from a typical
HDPE pipe.Floats for a while if composite reinforcement is used. Sinks immediately if steel reinforcement is used. Steel rebar has better load performance, but greatly reduce lifespan of 3D frame in salt water.
Beams reinforced by rebar assemblies in advance. Rebar placed inside pipes during formwork assembly. An empty formwork with rebar inside the pipes is concreted on site.
It is possible to use the vertical [load-bearing) columns as conductors for screw piles. However, a proprietary feature of HYDRANTULA structures is the possibility of their installation on the bottom soil in the FreeStand mode - on own sleds, without a firm connection with the seabed
The H1 series design includes «height-adjustable» lower columns. The designs of the H2 series also adapted to the slope. For rest series, it is possible to recoup the slopes with the upper deck adaptation.
Designs of the H3 [15 meters], H4 [6m], H5 Series [8...12m], as well as H2 [5 m] can be made in 2 or three storeys.
This allows them to be used at the maximum depths indicated above. H1 is only single storey series of Hydrantula.No more than 20% of the total (final) weight. With composite rebar used its often keep afloat.
It depends on the availability of barges suitable for transporting and launching empty formwork, as well as for placing a concrete pump and cuvet with fresh concrete. Limiting factor is that the depth at the installation site should be less than the maximum permissible. When casting from the shore, the length of the concrete pipeline is usually limited to 70 meters.
The structures are NOT designed for the ice flow of Arctic rivers. Freezing in sea bay or lake waters usually does not harm them.
Butt/socket welding of PE pipes can be performed by plumbers engaged in work on outdoor PE pipelines. The rest of the work can be easily handled by any skilled construction workers.
Drills, screwdrivers, cutters [crowns], optical levels, hand extruders, end welders, circular saws
Cranes, concrete pump, long-haul trucks, concrete delivery trucks.
The Archimedes force acting in water reduces the weight of fresh concrete by more than half lup to 800 kg/ma).
When using HYDRANTULA formwork on land, enhanced reinforcement and some external support of inclined and horizontal beams (tubes) will be required.
Hydrantula
e-mail:
HYDRANTULA PTE Ltd
33 Ubi Avenue 3, #08-61 Vertex Tower,
Singapore 408868
HYDRANTULA LLC
3910 Bricor dr. Canal Winchester, OH,
43110 , USA