EP0029400B1 - Apparatus for protecting buildings and civil engineering constructions against water and moisture - Google Patents

Abstract

1. A device to protect buildings and civil engineering works from water and moisture, comprising a periheral system of tubes (16) situated on the outside of the building or works to be protected and a system of tubes (10) that is present below the building or works to be protected, the two systems (10, 16) being connected together by tubes passing through the external walls (1 to 4) or their foundations (8), each system consisting of perforated tubes (11) sunk into a drainage material (15) and enabling water to be collected by emersion and then to be drained off, characterized in that the system of tubes (10) that is present below the building or works is a geometrical lattice system that is present below the whole surface of that building or of those works, the said lattice system (10) being connected to tubes of the external peripheral system (16) by tubes pasing approximately horizontally through the external walls (1 to 4) or their foundations (8), such that the lattice system (10) that extends below the whole surface of the building or of the works, and the external peripheral system (16) are on the same plane, these systems being laid on an excavated base (9) at a slight slope so that their plane is slightly inclined to the horizontal to enable water to be carried away by gravity to the lower point in the whole of these systems (10, 16).

Description

The present invention relates to a device for protecting buildings and civil engineering works against water and humidity, this device comprising in known manner (see US-A-1,734,777) a peripheral tubular network located outside the building or structure to be protected, and a tubular network present under the building or structure to be protected, the two networks being interconnected by tubes passing through the external walls or their foundations, each network consisting of perforated tubes embedded in a draining material and allowing the capture of water by emergence then its evacuation.

There are great difficulties in effectively protecting buildings and public works works constituting buried constructions from water and humidity.

• - Les fissurations fréquentes et les traversées ménagées pour les fluides (canalisations d'eau, de gaz, d'électricité) provoquent des discontinuités de l'étanchéité.
• - Le principe même de "barrage" conduit à un emprisonnement de l'eau, alors qu'il serait souhaitable de permettre son écoulement.

To achieve this protection, the currently most common method consists in opposing a "dam" to water, covering the base of the walls and the paving with waterproof coatings. This process is very expensive and it remains imperfect, in particular in the following two aspects:

• - Frequent cracks and crossings made for fluids (water, gas, electricity pipes) cause leaks.
• - The very principle of "dam" leads to a trapping of water, when it would be desirable to allow its flow.

We can thus observe, in current constructions, "backwashing" of water by capillary action, which are the cause of deterioration of the surface coatings, but also of unpleasant odors and a feeling of discomfort.

• 1. Le colluvionnement: les sols où la présence de l'eau est le plus à redouter sont généralement les sols argileux, ceux qui se trouvent au voisinage de rivières ou d'étangs et soumis aux influences de nappes phréatiques, et enfin les sols dits "rapportés", que l'insuffisance de leur compactage rend particulièrement vulnérables aux infiltrations d'eau et qui présentant ainsi de graves dangers pour l'édification des constructions. Le ruissellement de l'eau dans ces sols provoque ce qu'il est convenu d'appeler le "tri des fines" ou " colluvionnement": l'accumulation aux points bas des sables et limons qui y sont entraînés et déposés par l'action de l'eau occasionne, à plus ou moins longue échéance, le colmatage ou l'ensablement des tubes de drainage et d'évacuation des eaux, ce qui provoque leur accumulation et réunit du même coup les conditions donnant lieu à l'apparition des phénomènes de capillarité.
• 2. La capillarité et ses conséquences: dans tout milieu favorable où elle se trouve plus ou moins emprisonnée, l'eau possède une propriété phénoménale de progression dans toutes les directions. C'est essentiellement un agent mouillant, et dans son infiltration elle entraîne, avec elle, les éléments alcalins introduits notamment dans l'élaboration des chaux et ciments, d'où des détériorations à la surface des carrelages. L'eau trouve également dans les constituants du béton, ou des agglomérés de ciment et terre cuite, des éléments extrêmement favorable à sa progression. De plus, la capillarité a pour conséquence des pressions hydrostatiques ou tensions superficielles de l'eau, qui lui permettent de manifester, en surface, des forces très élevés. A ce sujet, il suffit de noter qu'en hydrostatique, on démontre que la masse d'un gramme d'eau, réduite en une couche de 1/20000 de millimètre d'épaisseur, serait pourtant capable de supporter une charge de 3300 tonnes!

To fully understand the origin of these unpleasant effects and the nature of the problems to be solved, it is necessary to take into consideration the natural phenomena which occur, and which are of two kinds:

• 1. Colluviation: the soils where the presence of water is most to be feared are generally clay soils, those which are found in the vicinity of rivers or ponds and subject to the influences of groundwater, and finally so-called soils "reported", which the inadequacy of their compaction makes them particularly vulnerable to water infiltration and which therefore presents serious dangers for the construction of constructions. The runoff of water in these soils causes what is known as "sorting of fines" or "colluviation": the accumulation at the low points of the sands and silts which are entrained there and deposited by the action. water causes, sooner or later, the clogging or silting up of the drainage and water evacuation tubes, which causes their accumulation and at the same time meets the conditions giving rise to the appearance of phenomena of capillarity.
• 2. Capillarity and its consequences: in any favorable environment where it is more or less trapped, water has a phenomenal property of progression in all directions. It is essentially a wetting agent, and in its infiltration it carries with it the alkaline elements introduced in particular in the preparation of lime and cements, whence deterioration on the surface of the tiles. Water also finds in the constituents of concrete, or agglomerates of cement and terracotta, elements extremely favorable to its progression. In addition, capillarity results in hydrostatic pressures or surface tensions of the water, which allow it to manifest, at the surface, very high forces. On this subject, it is enough to note that in hydrostatic, it is demonstrated that the mass of a gram of water, reduced to a layer of 1/20000 of a millimeter thick, would however be capable of supporting a load of 3300 tonnes !

• 1. Le réseau situé sous la surface du bâtiment n'est en fait qu'une simple boucle dont les tubes sont très proches des parois. Ces tubes sont enfouis dans une tranchée remplie d'un matériau drainant qui forme aussi une couche s'étendant sous toute la surface du bâtiment. Ainsi l'action de drainage est réalisée sur le pourtour du bâtiment, mais ne l'est pas efficacement sur l'étendue totale du bâtiment où la couche précitée représente plutôt un risque de stagnation, d'autant plus qu'aucune pente n'est prévue pour permettre un écoulement naturel vers un point bas. De plus, la position du réseau tubulaire "intérieur" présente un risque de déstabilisation de la zone des fondations, vitale pour la construction, en cas de colmatage de l'un des tubes.
• 2. Le réseau périphérique extérieur est situé à un niveau plus élevé que le réseau en boucle situé sous le bâtiment, le raccordement entre ces deux réseaux étant réalisé par des tubes traversant obliquement les fondations. Une telle disposition crée des différences de pression hydrostatique, et elle oblige à évacuer toute l'eau par le réseau situé le plus bas, en prévoyant un collecteur sous le bâtiment. Par ailleurs, l'orientation oblique des tubes de raccordement pose un problème pour la traversée des fondations, en raison du ferraillage très dense du béton dans cette partie de la construction.

Instead of opposing a dam to water, we can consider circulating it under buildings and structures, by preventing it from accumulating or stagnating there, this in particular by avoiding colluviation and controlling capillarity so as to avoid the appearance of water on the surface of the pavements. US-A-1,734,777 describes an attempt in this direction, by proposing a device for protecting buildings against water and humidity comprising a network of porous tubes located at the periphery of the building, outside of this one, and a network of porous tubes located under the surface of the building and connected to the external network by tubes crossing the foundations, these networks being connected to an evacuation. This device has various drawbacks:

• 1. The network located under the surface of the building is in fact only a simple loop whose tubes are very close to the walls. These tubes are buried in a trench filled with a draining material which also forms a layer extending under the entire surface of the building. Thus the drainage action is carried out on the periphery of the building, but is not effectively carried out over the entire extent of the building where the aforementioned layer rather represents a risk of stagnation, all the more since no slope is designed to allow natural flow to a low point. In addition, the position of the "interior" tubular network presents a risk of destabilization of the foundation area, vital for construction, in the event of one of the tubes becoming clogged.
• 2. The external peripheral network is located at a higher level than the loop network located under the building, the connection between these two networks being made by tubes obliquely crossing the foundations. Such an arrangement creates differences in hydrostatic pressure, and it forces all the water to be evacuated via the lowest system, in advance. seeing a collector under the building. Furthermore, the oblique orientation of the connection tubes poses a problem for crossing the foundations, due to the very dense reinforcement of the concrete in this part of the construction.

The present invention avoids these drawbacks by proposing a device for protecting buildings and civil engineering works against water and humidity, of the type indicated in the introduction, in which the tubular network present under the building or structure is a geometrical mesh network present under the entire surface of this building or this structure, said mesh network being connected to tubes of the external peripheral reinforcement by tubes passing substantially horizontally through the external walls or their foundations, so that the mesh network s extending under the entire surface of the building or structure and the external peripheral network are in the same plane, these networks being placed on an excavation bottom in slight slope so that their plane is slightly inclined on the horizontal to allow the evacuation of water by gravity at the low point of all of these networks.

The mesh structure of the network, forming a grid present under the entire surface of the building or structure, ensures water collection at all points, with balanced distribution of flows and offering a plurality of flow paths; it allows the network to maintain its efficiency even in the event of clogging or silting up of one or more tubes. This point is obviously very important because the water collection and evacuation network is made definitively inaccessible and invisible, once the building or structure has been completed, so that the device must maintain its efficiency permanently and indefinitely. Upwelling of water to the surface, and the resulting deterioration, are thus effectively avoided, any thickening of the film of water being immediately channeled by the collection tubes of the mesh network which cleanse the draining layer. The substantially horizontal connection of the mesh network located under the construction with the peripheral network located outside the construction, and the slight inclination of the assembly, allowing a directed flow and a relatively rapid evacuation, avoiding stagnation, water being collected outside at the lowest point, after crossing the outside walls or their foundations; this crossing of the walls or foundations is carried out without hydrostatic obstacle, and the evacuation of the water is carried out by gravity at the lowest point without any particular device.

Preferably, and depending on the natural terrain and the depth of the buried parts of the building or the structure concerned, the peripheral tubular network, located outside the walls or foundations and connected to the mesh network, also comprises sheets interconnected tubes located in vertical planes parallel to these walls and extending upwards.

According to a particularly simple and rational embodiment, the mesh network located under the surface of the building or structure has square or rectangular meshes, and. it is made from sections of perforated tubes interconnected by means of cross and / or T connections. Special connections are only necessary to make the connection between any plies of external tubes, parallel to the vertical walls, and the mesh network horizontal. We can choose tubes and fittings whose characteristics facilitate the assembly, transport and installation of the mesh network, in order to take into account not only economic imperatives, but also the fact that the workforce employed on construction sites is generally unskilled.

• Figure 1 est une vue en plan, très schématique, d'un bâtiment protégé contre l'eau et l'humidité grâce au dispositif selon l'invention;
• Figure 2 est une vue en élévation des parties inférieures de ce bâtiment;
• Figure 3 en est une vue partielle, en coupe verticale et à plus grande échelle, montrant plus en détail le réseau maillé sensiblement horizontal de captage et le réseau périphérique extérieur;
• Figure 4 représente, encore à plus grande échelle, un détail de tube et un raccord appartenant au réseau maillé.

In any case, the invention will be better understood, and other details of detail will be highlighted, with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended schematic drawing representing, by way of example, a realization of this device:

• Figure 1 is a very schematic plan view of a building protected against water and humidity by the device according to the invention;
• Figure 2 is an elevational view of the lower parts of this building;
• Figure 3 is a partial view, in vertical section and on a larger scale, showing in more detail the substantially horizontal mesh network of collection and the external peripheral network;
• Figure 4 shows, still on a larger scale, a detail of a tube and a fitting belonging to the mesh network.

Figures 1 and 2 show, extremely schematically, a rectangular building with its elevation walls or walls (1, 2, 3, 4) and a cross wall (5), this building constituting a construction buried in the soil whose natural level is indicated in (6). In Figure 3 appear, in more detail, the foundations with cleanliness concrete (7) and sills (8), above which are erected the walls or elevation walls (1 to 4).

On the excavation bottom (9) is arranged, according to the invention, a mesh network designated as a whole by (10), appearing seen in plan as a grid (see Figure 1). As shown more precisely in FIG. 3, this mesh network (10) consists of tubes (11), interconnected by means of cross connectors (12) and having series of perforations (13). This network, whose square meshes can have a side of between about 0.60 m and 1 m, extends not only over the entire surface of the excavation bottom (9), but also crosses the stringers (8) by reservations (14) provided for in these. It is understood that similar reservations must also be provided at the base of the cross wall (5).

The bottom of the excavation (9) and the mesh network (10) are slightly cant, the wall (1) corresponding for example to the highest side and the wall (3) to the lowest side, side where will obviously take place drainage.

As shown in Figure 3, the mesh network (10) is embedded in the lower part of a draining layer (15) resting on the excavation bottom (9) and consisting of crushed stones, in the form of carefully determined aggregate. The total thickness of this layer (15) can be approximately twice the diameter of the perforated tubes (11) of the mesh network (10).

As shown in the left part of FIG. 3, as well as, more schematically, in FIG. 2, there is provided, outside the stringers (8), a peripheral network supplementing the mesh network (10), with other perforated tubes (16) and other fittings (17) forming plies which extend upward in vertical planes parallel to the walls (1 to 4). The shape and height of these layers of tubes (16) which complete the basic network (10) are determined according to the profile of the natural terrain (6), as illustrated in FIG. 2.

Special fittings (18), with four end pieces not located in the same plane, are also provided on the edge of the mesh network (10), for the connection of the latter to the plies of vertical outer tubes (16).

Finally, a paving (19) is placed above the layer of crushed stones (15) in which is embedded the mesh network (10).

The progression of the water is baffled and braked in the "hedgehog" formed by the layer (15), so that the water flows slowly towards the low point resulting from the slight slope mentioned above. If the quantity of water increases suddenly, it is captured by emergence in the mesh network (10), through the perforations (12) of the tubes (11), and channeled in these tubes which evacuate it. This prevents the film of water from thickening and causing damage to the paving (19) and to the covering of this paving. It should be noted that the substantially horizontal "wall crossings" at the side rails (8) allow free circulation of water under the building, avoiding any stagnation. Furthermore, the vertical outside layers, formed by the tubes (16), play a similar protective role vis-à-vis the walls (1 to 4) and their bases.

On the low point side, a collector (not shown) collects all of the water collected, and transports it, for example, to the rainwater network or to an installation capable of using this water (heating).

Figure 4 shows a tube end (11) and a cross connector (12) of the mesh network (10). The tube (11) is ringed and its perforations (13) are formed by slots made in the annular grooves of the tube. The connector (12) has, on its four end caps, internal notches (20) which ensure the snap-fastening of one end of the tube (11). The tubes and fittings are advantageously made of plastic, and preferably at least the tubes (11) extending in one direction are flexible: the mesh network (10) can then be "pre-assembled" and form a sort of net , rolled up for transport and storage, and then this roller is simply unwound on the excavation bottom (9), so that the laying operations on the site are simplified to the extreme. According to another characteristic illustrated in FIG. 4, perforations (21) are also provided on the connections (12) of the mesh network, more particularly in the corners of these connections, where there is the risk of water stagnation.

The device which is the subject of the invention can also be implemented, without appreciable modification and with the same results, in the case of buildings with an armed raft and a peripheral wall, the latter being crossed by the tubes of the mesh network, and also, more generally, in the case of the underwork of various civil engineering works, for example for the foundations of bridge piers. It is also possible to provide two series of internal notches (20) on each end of a fitting (12), in order to obtain better attachment of the ends of the corrugated tubes (11).

Claims (7)

1. A device to protect buildings and civil engineering works from water and moisture, comprising a peripheral system of tubes (16) situated on the outside of the building or works to be protected and a system of tubes (10) that is present below the building or works to be protected, the two systems (10, 16) being connected together by tubes passing through the external walls (1 to 4) or their foundations (8), each system consisting of perforated tubes (11) sunk into a drainage material (15) and enabling water to be collected by emersion and then to be drained off, characterized in that the system of tubes (10) that is present below the building or works is a geometrical lattice system that is present below the whole surface of that building or of those works, the said lattice system (10) being connected to tubes of the external peripheral system (16) by tubes passing approximately horizontally through the external walls (1 to 4) or their foundations (8), such that the lattice system (10) that extends below the whole surface of the building or of the works, and the external peripheral system (16) are on the same plane, these systems being laid on an excavated base (9) at a slight slope so that their plane is slightly inclined to the horizontal to enable water to be carried away by gravity to the lower point in the whole of these systems (10, 16).

2. A device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the peripheral system of tubes situated on the outside of the walls (1 to 4) or foundations (8) and connected to the lattice system (10) additionally comprises networks of interconnected tubes (16) extending upwards in vertical planes parallel to those walls (1 to 4).

3. A device according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the lattice system (10) situated below the surface of the building or of the works possesses square or rectangular lattices and is produced by using lengths of perforated tube (11) aligned in perpendicular directions and interconnected by means of cross-type or T-type pipe connectors (12).

4. A device according to both Claims 2 and 3, characterized in that special pipe connectors (18) with four ferrules that are not positioned in a single plane are additionally provided around the edge of the lattice system (10) to connect it to the networks of tubes (16) that extend in vertical planes and belong to the external peripheral system.

5. A device according to Claim 3 or 4 using annulated flexible tubes to form the lattice system (10), characterized in that the perforations (13) are formed by slots provided in the annular grooves of such tubes (11).

6. A device according to Claim 5, characterized in that the pipe connectors (12, 18) of cross-type, T-type or with four ferrules that are not positioned in a single plane comprise interior catches (20) on their ferrules which ensure the retention of one end of an annulated tube (11) by pawl and ratchet action in an annular groove of such tube.

7. A device according to Claim 6, characterized in that perforations (21) are also provided on the pipe connectors (12, 18) more especially in the angles of such pipe connectors.

Images