Floating prestressed concrete wharf

Claim 2

A floating wharf unit of a rectangular parallelepiped configuration comprising: A. at least one core of light weight material B. a layer of concrete substantially surrounding the at least one core to define a volume having top, bottom and sidewall surfaces; and C. a first plurality of pretensioned strands of resilient material, a first portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete above the bottom surface of the unit along the bottom longitudinal corners and a second portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete below the upper surface of the unit along the upper longitudinal corners, thereby maintaining the concrete layer in compression.

Claim 3

The wharf unit of claim 1 further comprising: D. a layer of reinforcing wire mesh located in the concrete layer and substantially surrounding the at least one core.

Claim 4

The wharf unit of claim 1 further comprising: D. a second plurality of pretensioned strands of resilient material within the layer of concrete below the upper surface of the unit and transverse to the second portion of the first plurality of pretensioned strands, thereby maintaining the portion of the wharf unit below the upper surface in bilateral compression.

Claim 5

The wharf unit of claim 3 further comprising: D. means attached to the second portion of the first plurality of pretensioned strands below the top wall surface and extending to the side wall surface for attaching a bumper rail; E. bumper rails extending along the longitudinal sides of the unit; and F. means coacting with the attaching means for securing the bumper rail to the wharf unit.

Claim 6

The wharf unit of claim 4 wherein the means for attaching a bumper rail comprises a plurality of threaded inserts each having an eye integral therewith, at least one of the second portion of the first plurality of pretensioned strands being threaded through the eye of each of the plurality of threaded inserts and the second plurality of pretensioned strands of resilient material being stretched between the eyes of the plurality of inserts on opposite sides of the unit.

Claim 7

A floating wharf unit comprising: A. at least one core of liGht weight material including longitudinal sides having cutaway portions at either end of the core, B. a layer of concrete substantially surrounding the at least one core to define a volume having top, bottom and sidewall surfaces; and C. a first plurality of pretensioned strands of resilient material, a first portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete above the bottom surface of the unit and a second portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete below the upper surface of the unit, thereby maintaining the concrete layer in compression, D. means for joining one float to another comprising an end plate having on one side a plurality of hook-shaped anchor bars extending into the concrete located in the cutaway portions and on the other side a plurality of spaced connector lugs for joining one float to another.

Claim 8

A floating wharf unit comprising: A. at least one core of liGht weight material including longitudinal sides having cutaway portions at either end of the core, B. a layer of concrete substantially surrounding the at least one core to define a volume having top, bottom and sidewall surfaces; and C. a first plurality of pretensioned strands of resilient material, a first portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete above the bottom surface of the unit and a second portion of the first plurality being located within the layer of concrete below the upper surface of the unit, thereby maintaining the concrete layer in compression, D. means for joining one float to another comprising an end plate having on one side a plurality of hook-shaped anchor bars extending into the concrete located in the cutaway portions and on the other side a plurality of spaced connector lugs for joining one float to another.

Claim 9

The wharf unit of claim 6 wherein there are a plurality of cores of lightweight material separated by membranes of concrete and wherein the means for joining one float to another further comprises hollow sleeves extending through the concrete membranes to the walls of the unit, the sleeves surrounding threaded connecting rods.