Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
  • E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
  • E02D27/00—Foundations as substructures
  • E02D27/32—Foundations for special purposes
  • E02D27/35—Foundations formed in frozen ground, e.g. in permafrost soil
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
  • E01C3/00—Foundations for pavings
  • E01C3/003—Foundations for pavings characterised by material or composition used, e.g. waste or recycled material
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E01—CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, RAILWAYS, OR BRIDGES
  • E01C—CONSTRUCTION OF, OR SURFACES FOR, ROADS, SPORTS GROUNDS, OR THE LIKE; MACHINES OR AUXILIARY TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION OR REPAIR
  • E01C3/00—Foundations for pavings
  • E01C3/06—Methods or arrangements for protecting foundations from destructive influences of moisture, frost or vibration
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
  • E04C5/00—Reinforcing elements, e.g. for concrete; Auxiliary elements therefor
  • E04C5/07—Reinforcing elements of material other than metal, e.g. of glass, of plastics, or not exclusively made of metal

Definitions

• This invention relates to construction of structures on soils, as for example:
• the layer of vapour barrier poly-ethylene sheet material
• the rigid insulation StyrofoamTM
• the initial grade is relatively rough and uneven and can contain rocks, depressions and protruding sharp objects. This makes it difficult for a vapour barrier, if applied first, to retain its continuity when the balance of the road bed is loaded on top of it.
• the vapour barrier may tear and in the location of the tears, the vapour barrier will be undermined
• the StyrofoamTM sheets are typically in 4 ft x 8 ft pieces laid side-by-side in a staggered pattern but because the StyrofoamTM is laid in pieces, the crack between each of the sheets may allow moisture to penetrate from the top and where the vapour barrier is broken, from the bottom. Any break in the membrane will allow the transfer of water as well as heat. Further, the cracks and or breaks in the StyrofoamTM may trap water and during the winter months, and the freeze-thaw cycle may aggravate movement and settlement of the soils above the StyrofoamTM.
• Buildings or other structures may be constructed slab-on-grade such as warehousing, residences, commercial and industrial buildings, or may be free standing structures that are placed directly on grade such as oil well-head housing and other protective shelters. Structures such as sidewalks, parking lots, patios, and the like may be situated on soils that may be undermined by the presence of sub-surface frozen soils such as permafrost and ice lenses as well as soils that are on muskeg, organics and very wet soils. In each of these structures, the lack of strength in the structural base may cause structural failure of the building or other structure.
• the present invention is directed to providing a reinforced foam base to assist in the stabilization of the sub-grade and minimize sub-grade degradation of the soils which will minimize building settlement and especially differential settlement of a building or other structure constructed on top of a reinforced foam base.
• a method of construction comprises the steps of laying reinforcing material across soil at a construction site; and forming a reinforced base by covering the reinforcing material with a polymeric resin, whereby upon curing, the polymeric resin and reinforcing material forms a structural base.
• a method of construction comprises the steps of forming a reinforced foam base on unstable soil; and constructing a sub-grade on the reinforced foam base, whereby the reinforced foam base minimizes differential and uneven settlement.
• the structural base is the base of a road, runway, or is installed at a well site, for example around a well head.
• the construction site may be a utility trench, and the polymeric resin may surround a utility line in the utility trench.
• the reinforcing material may be in the form of a grid.
• a preferred polymeric resin is a two part hydrophobic expanding polymeric resin.
• the soil may be an unstable soil, for example selected from the group consisting of permafrost, soils with ice lensing, muskeg, soil with organics and water saturated soils.
• the reinforcement material may be selected from the group consisting of rods, rope, strapping, mesh, netting, geotextile fabrics or other dimensional forms laid longitudinally or in a grid pattern. 12
• Various applications of the method of construction include construction of a road, airport runway, a tarmac, a structures built slab on grade or a structure on grade, a walks, a storage area, a parking area, a dam, and a
• Fig. 1 is a section through a reinforced base for use with roads, runways and slab on grade structures according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is a section through a reinforced base for use with a structure on grade according to the invention.
• Fig. 3 is a section through a utility pipeline trench according to the invention.
• a reinforced foam base is used as a base in the construction of new gravel, asphalt or concrete paved roads; in the construction of trenched utilities installations (water, storm and sanitary lines); in the construction of runways and tarmacs; in the construction of any concrete slab-on-grade structure such as building pads, pedestrian walk ways and the like; in the construction of any base upon which a free standing structure is to be constructed or placed no matter what topping or fill (such as gravel, sand, etc.) is placed on the reinforced foam base; and in the construction of a "skin" or dam for liquid holding areas.
• the reinforced foam base is intended to prevent or minimize sharp and/or significant differential settlement of the bed and the surface toppings be they concrete, asphalt, gravel or some other surfacing material.
• the reinforced foam base protects against failure in the sub-grade matrices below the reinforced foam base because of inherent weak sub-grade characteristics of the soils due to permafrost, muskeg, ice lensing, organics, and the like.
• the impermeable nature of the reinforced foam base provides an excellent vapour barrier as well as a barrier to any gases such as natural gas, methane, butane, propane and the like.
• re-enforcing material typically synthetic material
• a reinforced base is formed by covering the reinforcing material with a polymeric resin.
• the reinforcing material may have the form of rods, rope, strapping, mesh, netting, geotextile fabrics or other dimensional forms laid longitudinally, in a grid pattern or any other suitable pattern.
• the reinforcing material may be formed in single or multiple layers, tied or not tied.
• the polymeric resin is applied preferably by in situ spraying of the components of the polymeric resin onto the reinforcing material.
• the reinforcing material may be nylon, polypropylene, fiberglass, other synthetic or non-synthetic materials or combinations of these materials.
• the polymeric resin is preferably a high density, two-part, closed cell, hydro- phobic and insulative expanding polymer resin, such as a polyurethane system, which is sprayed over the reinforcing material to a specified thickness to achieve a contiguous thermo-structural base.
• the particular foam system used is tailored to meet specific engineered design applications relating to insulative characteristics, tensile strength, compressive strength, shear strength and flexural strength, and other structural characteristics to meet the specific design application of the reinforced foam base for any given project. It is also possible to use other expandable substances having similar properties.
• the reinforced foam base forms a thermo-structural base that bridges any current and future weak areas in the soils under the base.
• the reinforced foam base also provides a barrier to any water, water vapour and gases permeating through the soils under the base. Should the soils under the reinforced foam base degrade and/or settle over time, the reinforced foam base provides support for the structural material placed over the reinforced foam base, such as a building, road or utility conduit.
• Fig. 1 shows a reinforced foam base 16 for use in the construction of road beds, runways, tarmacs, walkways, slab-on-grade structures, or the like.
• the reinforced foam base 16 includes a composite structure of a plurality of reinforcing components 11 fully encased and embedded in a pre-determined thickness of an expanding polymer resin 12.
• the reinforcing components 11 are oriented only longitudinally if bearing capacity warrants and should bearing capacity requirements be increased, the reinforcing components can be installed in a grid pattern or a pre-manufactured mesh can be installed.
• the reinforced foam base is installed directly on native soils 13 that have been cut to their desired grade.
• An engineered designed road bed of compacted granular material, clay, or other suitable material 14 is laid on top of the reinforced foam base 16. Atop the road bed, a designed surface 15 such as concrete pavement, asphalt pavement or compacted gravel is placed. In the case of a structure constructed slab-on-grade, compacted granular fill is placed on top of the reinforced foam base 16 and finished with a concrete topping.
• a reinforced foam base 25 for use in the construction of a free standing building on grade with a granular base.
• the reinforced foam base 25 comprises a composite structure of a plurality of reinforcing components 21 fully encased and embedded in a pre-determined thickness of an expanding polymer resin 22.
• the reinforcing components 21 are oriented only longitudinally if bearing capacity warrants and should bearing capacity requirements be increased, the reinforcing components can be installed in a grid pattern or a pre-manufactured mesh can be installed.
• the reinforced foam base is installed directly on native soils 23 that have been cut to the desired grade.
• a bed of granular material 24 or other suitable material is laid on top of the reinforced foam base 25.
• a reinforced foam base 34 for use in the construction and installation of a utility pipeline or conduit 31 within native soils 35.
• the reinforced foam base 35 is constructed in a trench 32 that is excavated to a width suitable for the diameter of pipe being installed and the amount of insulation required to provide pre-determined thermal protection.
• the reinforced foam base comprises a composite structure of a plurality of re-enforcing components 33 resting on the bottom of the trench, which after application of a polymeric foam system, becomes fully encased and embedded in a predetermined thickness of an expanding polymer resin to form reinforced foam base 34.
• the reinforcing components 33 are oriented longitudinally parallel with the trench line.
• Preformed pipe bases 36 each for example a stand-alone pedestal made of the same polymer resin as the reinforced foam base, are installed on the bottom of the trench.
• Polymer resin 34 is then injected into the trench to encapsulate the pipe 31 and pipe bases 36.
• the trench above the pipe 31 is filled with polymer resin to a depth providing the engineered R-value required to insulate the pipe 31.
• the balance of the trench is then back-filled and compacted with engineered fill 37.
• the reinforcing material extends continuously over the length and width of the road or over the known weak area over which the road traverses.
• the reinforcing material that is encapsulated in the high density polymer resin provides a bridge over the weak area or weak areas.
• the reinforced foam base ensures that should there be any settlement of the sub-grade under the service itself, the service will be protected against settlement.
• the high density, two part, hydrophobic expanding polymeric resin is sprayed to whatever thickness is specified to achieve the engineered thermal barrier characteristics.
• the polymeric resin forms a contiguous mass encapsulating the reinforcing material, thereby forming a light-weight reinforced structural mass to hold and bridge areas of the road bed that are weak due to the presence of permafrost, ice lensing, muskeg, organics or very wet soils. Since the mass is contiguous there are no breaks in it and thereby forms an unbroken solid vapour barrier. Further, since the material is in liquid form when sprayed, all depressions are filled, all protrusions in the road bed are encapsulated and there is no chance of such things under-mining the structural integrity of the reinforced foam base.
• the thermal barrier to prevent heat penetration into the soils where permafrost or ice lensing may be present is controllable in terms of the required insulative requirements of the material.
• the polymer resin may have an insulative R-value in the order of R5 - R5.5 per inch of material thickness.
• the polymeric resin is sprayed over and around the reinforcing strands or mesh and in the case of utilities services, around the utility pipe itself to a designated thickness all around the utility line to provide the requisite thermal values.
• Another positive benefit of filling around the utility pipe with the expanding polymer resin is that any small openings in the pipe connections will tend to be sealed with the expanding resin thereby reducing the possibility of leaks.
• the reinforced foam base acts as a vapour barrier as well as a barrier against permeation of heavier gases such as methane, butane, propane and natural gas through the reinforced foam base.
• the reinforced foam base may be used where it is impractical to excavate and back-fill with engineered soils; where these soils are unstable due to conditions relating to permafrost, ice-lensing, muskeg, organics, wetness and other conditions contributing to voiding and/or settlement in the sub-grade soils; and where water, vapour and/or gases permeating through the sub-grade is of concern.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
• Paleontology (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Road Paving Structures (AREA)
• Investigation Of Foundation Soil And Reinforcement Of Foundation Soil By Compacting Or Drainage (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Publications (1)

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ID=30116422

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (3)

Citations (1)

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• 2003
  • 2003-06-25 EP EP03737801A patent/EP1530661A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-06-25 NZ NZ537084A patent/NZ537084A/en not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-06-25 JP JP2004518308A patent/JP2005531705A/ja active Pending
  • 2003-06-25 WO PCT/CA2003/000959 patent/WO2004005621A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2003-06-25 RU RU2005101410/03A patent/RU2345191C2/ru not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2003-06-25 AU AU2003245769A patent/AU2003245769A1/en not_active Abandoned
• 2004
  • 2004-12-16 NO NO20045490A patent/NO20045490L/no not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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