APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REINFORCING VERTICAL COLUMNS

摘要

An apparatus (30) for reinforcing an external surface of a stationary vertical column (20) with a reinforcing material (61) includes a supply (60) of the reinforcing material (61) and a guide (62) that directs the reinforcing material (61) from the supply (60) onto the stationary vertical column (20). A winding device (30) moves the guide (62) in a spiral pattern relative to the stationary vertical column (20), to wind spiral layers of the reinforcing material (61) onto the vertical column (20). The winding device (30) is provided as a multipart structure that may be assembled around the vertical column (20) and later disassembled to permit removal from around the vertical column (20). In one approach, the reinforcing material (61) is tows of a curable composite material that are wound onto the vertical column (20) and later cured in place after the winding device (30) is removed.