AU2004205173B2 - A building with a water storage facility - Google Patents

Description

23. AUG. 2004 18:30 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3718 P. 4/10 S&F Ref: 689615

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Burak Dincel, Australian Citizen, of Level 3, 7k Parkes Street, Parramatta, New South Wales, 2150, Australia Burak Dincl Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) A building with a water storage facility ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS [33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU 2003904543 [32] Application Date 22 Aug 2003 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of perfouming it known to me/us:- 5815e COMS ID No: SBMI-00881962 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:33 Date 2004-08-23 1 SA BUILDING WITH A WATER STORAGE FACILITY Technical Field 00 The present invention relates to buildings and more particularly the use of "grey" water in buildings Background of the Invention With the ever increasing demand for water as well as the ever increasing awareness of the environmental consequences of the depleting nature water courses, there is considerable demand for the more efficient use of water.

Typically, in buildings, particularly high rise buildings, water falling on the 1o upper surfaces of the building and its surrounds merely go to the storm water system.

Accordingly, there is considerable loss of water which is clearly not efficient water use.

Disclosed in USA Patents 5396745 and 5239794. These patents describe structures that include a water storage facility, however they do not address the issue of overflow of stored water.

The most efficient location for the water storage tank is directly below the building. Most commonly this will place the tank at a level below the public stormwater drainage system. Therefore overflow from the tank to the public stormwater drainage system is not possible. Under these conditions flood mitigation considerations will dictate the size and depth of the water storage tank.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage of current building structures in relation to water usage.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a building having an adjacent ground level including: a foundation providing a cavity or cavities terminating below said ground level; a plurality of walls supported on the foundation and extending upwardly therefrom; ducting extending to said cavity or cavities to receive rain water collected on said building or adjacent areas, to deliver the rain water to said cavity or cavities; ducting extending from said cavity or cavities to deliver water to outlets in said building; [R:\LIBTTO3406speci.doc:KEH pump means connected to the ducting extending from said cavity or cavities to pump water therefrom to said outlet or outlets; and a second pump means in communication with said cavity or cavities so as to draw water therefrom and upon activation deliver water to a drainage system external to the building in order to maintain a water-free void within the cavity or cavities.

Preferably, said outlets are grey water outlets.

Preferably, said areas include a roof portion of the building.

In a further preferred form, said areas include surfaces adjacent said building.

SBrief Description of the Drawing A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which schematically depicts in sectioned side elevation a multi-storey building.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In the accompanying drawing there is schematically depicted a multi-storey building 10. However in this respect it should be appreciate that present embodiment is also applicable to a single storey building.

The building 10 includes a foundation 11 including foundation walls 12 and a foundation floor 13. Supported on the foundation floor 13 and spaced inwardly of the foundation walls 12 are internal walls 14.

The foundation floor 13 includes upper and lower horizontal concrete slabs and vertical brace members 16 which provide a plurality of cavities 17 that is located below ground level.

Typically, the foundation 11 would provide two layers of car park spaces 19.

The building 10 has a roof 20 including a peripheral wall 21 providing a rain water collection area 22. Located adjacent the building 10 is the surrounding ground level 23 providing a rain water collection area 24. This area 24 may also include the granular material layer 33. The area 24 is the adjacent ground level.

Extending from the area 22 is a duct 25 that delivers collected rain water from the area 22 to one or more of the cavities 17. Alternatively or in addition thereto ducting 26 extends from the area 24 to drain water again to one or more of the cavities 17.

Located in one of the cavities 17 is a pump 27 that delivers water under pressure to a duct 28 extending to a plurality of outlets 29. For example, the outlets 29 are grey [R:\LIBTT]03406speci.doc:KEH 3 water outlets such as toilets, showers, irrigation systems and fire fighting outlets. The member 16 would have passages allowing water to flow between the cavities 17.

00 In one preferred form, the internal walls 14 are constructed by the building elements described in International Patent Application PCT/AU02/01382.

Preferably, a mains water supply 30 would provide water should there be insufficient rain water collected The cavities 17 are sized, and the water level maintained therein so as to provide for exceptional wet conditions combined with minimum usage via the outlets 29.

However, a pump 31 is provided and connected to a pipe 32 for the purposes of accommodating instances where there is less than expected water usage. The pump 31 is provided to maintain the void space required for flood mitigation. The pipe 32 delivers water to a public storm water system. The pump 31 would be automatically activated when water in the cavities 17 reached a predetermined level.

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Claims (4)

1. A building having an adjacent ground level including: a foundation providing a cavity or cavities terminating below said ground level; a plurality of walls supported on the foundation and extending upwardly therefrom; ducting extending to said cavity or cavities to receive rain water collected on said t building or adjacent areas, to deliver the rain water to said cavity or cavities; N, ducting extending from said cavity or cavities to deliver water to outlets in said Sbuilding; I 10o pump means connected to the ducting extending from said cavity or cavities to pump water therefrom to said outlet or outlets; and a second pump means, said second pump means being in communication with said cavity or cavities so as to draw water therefrom and upon activation deliver water to a drainage system external to the building in order to maintain a water-free void within the cavity or cavities.

2. The building of claim 1, wherein said outlets are grey water outlets.

3. The building of claim 1 or 2, wherein said areas include a roof portion of the building.

4. The building of claim 1, wherein said areas include surfaces adjacent said building. A building, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing. Dated 26 July, 2005 Burak Dincel Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON [R:\LIBTT]03406speci.doc:KEH