EP2489784B1 - Device for stabilisation of porous ground - Google Patents

Description

1. Field of the invention

The field of the invention is that of the design and manufacture of technical soil stabilization devices, such as soils for the practice of sports activities.

The invention finds in particular, but not exclusively, an application in the field of stabilizing equestrian soil.

2. Prior Art

In the equestrian field, breeders and / or riders often work their horses in rides or quarries.

The rides are covered buildings whose floor is made of a soft porous material, usually sand, on which equines are made to work.

The quarries are open-air facilities whose floor is comparable to that of the rides.

In order to make horses work properly, especially without risking tiring their joints, equestrian sand-based grounds must have a certain consistency, homogeneity, cohesion or stability. Soils of this type must have a hygrometry chosen in such a way that they are neither too heavy nor too light.

Given the natural evaporation of water trapped in the ground of the carousels and quarries, especially during summer periods, it must be regularly watered. The soil of open quarries must also be drained, especially during rainy periods, so as to eliminate excess water.

Conventional watering to compensate water losses by evaporation usually involves spraying water on the soil surface.

The drainage conventionally used to eliminate excess water allows to evacuate the overflow of water by absorbing it by the soil surrounding the carousel or quarry.

This technique is commonly used. However, it has a number of disadvantages.

3. Disadvantages of prior art

A disadvantage of this technique of the prior art is related to the fact that the maintenance of a minimum level of soil hygrometry requires the spraying of water on their surface. Maintaining the minimum level of hygrometry therefore induces water consumption which represents a significant cost item. In addition, this water consumption has a negative impact on the environment.

Another disadvantage is related to the fact that the drainage of quarry or carousel soils is not well controlled. Thus, its implementation leads to dehydration in too high proportions the soil during certain periods, and conversely not to dry enough the soil during other periods. There are periods during which the soil is too heavy or too light.

In the end, the technique according to the prior art does not effectively regulate the hygrometry of soils quarry or ride.

4. Objectives of the invention

The invention particularly aims to overcome these disadvantages of the prior art.

More precisely, it is an object of the invention to provide, in at least one embodiment, a technique which makes it possible to effectively stabilize a porous sol.

The invention also aims to provide, in at least one embodiment, such a technique that is more environmentally friendly.

In particular, the invention has the objective of providing, in at least one embodiment, such a technique which contributes to reducing the water consumption necessary to maintain the minimum hygrometry level of the soil.

Another object of the invention is to propose, in at least one embodiment, such a technique that is simple and economical to implement while being effective and reliable.

5. Presentation of the invention

These objectives, as well as others that will appear later, are achieved by means of a device for stabilizing a porous soil.

According to the invention, such a device comprises the features of claim 1.

Thus, the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach to regulate the hygrometry rate of a porous sol, which consists in placing it in an open sealed tank comprising a perforated bottom connected to a channel forming a siphon whose exit opens between the bottom of the tank and the upper level of the ground.

The technique according to the invention thus makes it possible to ensure in a simple and reliable manner effective drainage of a porous sol, the implementation of which ensures that its hygrometry rate does not exceed a predetermined maximum level.

The technique according to the invention is particularly effective for evacuating the overflow of water in the soil of an equestrian career during periods of heavy precipitation.

The siphon pipe is a pipe that eliminates too much water in the soil, that is, excess water. It is therefore an excess water line.

The siphon pipe includes an inlet connected to the at least one perforation and a substantially vertically extending portion whose outlet opens above the level of said bottom and below the upper level of said ground.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, said bottom is traversed by a plurality of perforations, each of said perforations being connected to said siphon pipe.

This implementation improves soil drainage.

In this case, said perforations are preferentially distributed uniformly over said bottom.

This helps to ensure homogeneous drainage of the entire porous soil. Soil stability is ensured on the entire surface.

In an advantageous embodiment of a device according to the invention, said soil comprises at least one bottom layer consisting of sand and an upper layer consisting of a mixture of sand and fibers.

The upper layer comprising a mixture of sand and fibers then constitutes a so-called working layer with great flexibility and the implementation of which contributes to ensuring better cohesion. The lower layer of sand constitutes a so-called support layer whose implementation makes it possible to ensure effective lift of the working layer.

In a reference embodiment of a device according to the invention, said vessel is constituted by the superposition of a geotextile, a geomembrane and a geocomposite comprising a plurality of drains.

The implementation of such a geocomposite contributes to ensuring a good distribution of the hydraulic flows inside the tank and through the porous soil.

The use of the geomembrane makes it possible to give the tank a excellent waterproofness. This prevents water loss and water infiltration that could rise from the surface on which the ground rests.

The use of the geotextile makes it possible to protect the geomembrane effectively, in particular against the risks of punching.

In a preferred embodiment, a device according to the invention comprises means for storing water, said outlet of said siphon opening into said storage means.

Soil drainage water is thus fully stored in a reserve for reuse, unlike the techniques of the prior art in which it is absorbed by the surface on which the ground rests.

In this case, said storage means are connected to irrigation means of said soil.

The implementation of means of irrigation makes it possible to guarantee that the hygrometry rate of the soil keeps a minimum level. The fact that irrigation is carried out by means of water from the drainage of the soil makes it possible to limit the need to suppress the consumption of external water and to reduce accordingly the cost inherent in the irrigation of the soil. Thus, the implementation of a device according to the invention is ecological because it operates in a closed circuit.

According to an advantageous characteristic, said irrigation means will comprise means for spraying water on the surface of said soil.

This implementation ensures a homogeneous irrigation of the entire porous soil.

According to an advantageous embodiment, said storage means comprise an inlet intended to be connected to meteorite water recovery means.

For example, it will be possible to connect downspouts of buildings placed near the device in such a way that this water is reused to irrigate the soil. This implementation also allows for ecological irrigation.

According to an advantageous characteristic, a device according to the invention comprises drainage means which extend along at least a part of the periphery of said tank.

The implementation of a peripheral drainage can capture surface runoff and / or groundwater from a watershed near the location of a device according to the invention. It makes it possible to protect the tank, and in particular the geomembrane, from seepage and / or water table upwelling, and to limit the underlying pressures due for example to the presence of gas or water vapor under the tank. .

6. List of figures

• la figure 1 illustre une vue de côté d'un exemple de dispositif de stabilisation de sol selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 illustre une vue partielle de dessus du dispositif représenté à la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 illustre une vue en coupe de la cuve d'un dispositif de stabilisation de sol selon l'invention ;
• la figure 4 illustre une variante d'un dispositif de stabilisation de sol selon l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, among which:

• the figure 1 illustrates a side view of an example of soil stabilization device according to the invention;
• the figure 2 illustrates a partial view from above of the device represented in FIG. figure 1 ;
• the figure 3 illustrates a sectional view of the tank of a soil stabilization device according to the invention;
• the figure 4 illustrates a variant of a soil stabilization device according to the invention.

7. Description of an embodiment of the invention 7.1. Recall of the principle of invention

The general principle of the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach to regulating the hygrometry rate of a porous sol, which consists in placing it in an open sealed tank comprising a perforated bottom connected to a siphon whose outlet opens out between the bottom of the tank and the upper level of the soil.

The technique according to the invention thus makes it possible to ensure in a simple and reliable manner effective drainage of a porous sol, the implementation of which ensures that its hygrometry rate does not exceed a predetermined maximum level.

The technique according to the invention is particularly effective for evacuating the overflow of water within the soil of an equestrian career during periods of heavy precipitation.

Drainage water can be used in a closed circuit to irrigate the soil so as to maintain its hygrometry above a minimum level.

7.2. Example of a stabilization device according to the invention 7.2.1. Architecture

With reference to the figure 1 , a soil stabilization device 10 according to the invention comprises a sealed tank 11.

The sealed tank 11 comprises a bottom 110 and four sides 111. It defines a housing 112 intended to receive a porous soil 12.

In this embodiment, the porous floor 12 consists of a lower layer 121 called the support layer, and an upper layer 122 called the working layer.

In this embodiment, the support layer 121 has a minimum thickness of ten centimeters. It is here made of sand. This sand is micro sand with a 0/1 caliber.

In this embodiment, the working layer 122 has a thickness of six to seven centimeters. It consists here of a mixture of sand and fibers at a rate of 700 grams of fiber per square meter of soil. These fibers are of AB TEX type.

The bottom 110 of the tank 11 is traversed by a plurality of perforations 113. As shown in FIG. figure 2 these perforations 113 are in this embodiment uniformly distributed along the two longest sides of the tank 11. In a variant, other perforations 113 'may also be provided along the median axis of the tank 11 parallel to the longer sides and connected to a pipe 14 '. These perforations 113 'and channeling 14 'are shown in dotted lines on the figure 2 . The number of perforations 113 will preferably be chosen as a function of the surface of the ground 12.

The perforations 113 are connected by pipes 13 to sloping pipes 14 which extend under the tank 11 and open into a siphon pipe 15.

The siphon 15 consists of a pipe having substantially the shape of an L of which a portion 151 extends substantially vertically. It comprises an inlet 152 and an outlet 153. The inlet 152 is connected to the outlet of the pipes 14. The level of the outlet 153 extends between the level of the bottom 110 of the vessel 11 and the upper level S of the soil 12 .

In this embodiment, the outlet 153 of the siphon 15 extends in the extension of the junction zone 123 between the lower layer 121 and the upper layer 122 of the soil 12.

The portion of the siphon 15 including its outlet 153 is housed in a look 16.

The sight 16 defines a reservoir comprising an overflow 161 which extends at a predetermined distance from its bottom 162.

The overflow 161 is connected by a pipe 17 to a manifold 18 which opens into a storage tank 19.

In this embodiment, the collector 18 is also connected by another pipe 20 to the outlet 210 of a descent 21 connected to a gutter 22 which collects the rainwater which flows on the roof 231 of a building 23 placed near the stabilizing device 10.

The tank 19 houses a submerged pump 24. The pump 24 is connected by a pipe 25 to irrigation means 26 of the soil 12.

In this embodiment, the irrigation means 26 comprise a water spray ramp 27 on the soil surface 12.

• d'un géotextile 30 ;
• d'une géomembrane 31 ;
• d'un géocomposite 32.

As shown in figure 3 , the bottom 110 of the sealed tank 11 is in this embodiment constituted by the stack:

• a geotextile 30;
• a geomembrane 31;
• of a geocomposite 32.

• le géotextile 30 est un géotextile non tissé de 300g/m², ayant une épaisseur de trois millimètres, constitué de plusieurs lés dont les bords sont superposés ;
• la géomembrane 31 est un film étanche en PVC 10/10 constitué de plusieurs lés soudés entre-eux ;
• le géocomposite 32 est du type des géocomposites Draintube® commercialisés par la société Afitex-Texel.

In this embodiment:

• the geotextile 30 is a nonwoven geotextile of 300 g / m ² , having a thickness of three millimeters, consisting of several strips whose edges are superimposed;
• the geomembrane 31 is a tight PVC 10/10 film consisting of several welded strips;
• geocomposite 32 is of the Draintube® geocomposite type marketed by Afitex-Texel.

This type of geocomposite 32 generally comprises the superposition of a nonwoven draining web, perforated polypropylene mini-drains 321 and a polypropylene needled filtering web.

The pipes 13 are not represented on the figure 3 which illustrates a variant according to which the perforations 113 are connected by lines 13 'to control lines 36, as will be explained in more detail later with reference to FIG. figure 4 . However, the soil 12 and the tank 11 illustrated in FIG. figure 3 may be implemented in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. figures 1 and 2 and in the one that is illustrated in the figure 4 . It is the same for the peripheral drainage illustrated on the figure 3 .

In this embodiment, the tank 11 is implanted in a terrestrial surface 38 so that the upper level S of the ground 12 extends essentially in the same plane as the upper level ST of the terrestrial surface 38.

The edges 111 of the tank 11 bear against wooden beams 28 placed at the periphery of the tank 11.

In this embodiment, a trench 33 is formed at the periphery of the tank 11. This trench 33 houses a draining material 34, such as for example gravel, in which is embedded a drainage pipe 35 which opens into means of drainage. filtration (not shown) then in the tank 19. In a Alternatively, the drain pipe 35 will not open into the tank 19 and will spread the peripheral drainage water within the surrounding land surface 38.

7.2.2. Setting up

The establishment of a stabilization device according to the invention within an equestrian career can be achieved in the following manner.

A platform is first earthed, regaled and compacted in the earth surface 38 so as to define a horizontal profile PH on which the bottom 110 of the vessel 11 will rest.

The trench 33 is then formed at the periphery of the platform PH.

The drainage pipe 35 is embedded in the trench 33 within the draining material 34.

Trenches are also provided to allow the passage of the pipes 13 and the pipes 14 and 15.

The pipes 13, the pipes 14, 15, the sight 16, the tank 19, the pipes and piping 17, 20, 25 are put in place.

The curb of the quarry is made by means of an enclosure by the wooden beams 28.

The geotextile 30 is deposited on the platform PH so that it overflows on the beams 28. The geomembrane 31 is deposited on the geotextile 30 so that it overflows on the beams 28. The bottom 110 and the sides 111 of the tank 11 are thus formed.

The perforations 113 are formed in the geotextile 30 and the geomembrane 31 of the bottom 110 of the tank 11. They are sealed with the inlet of the connections 13.

The geocomposite 32 is deposited on the geomembrane 31 so that its drains 321, of which only a part is represented on the figure 2 , extend towards the perforations 113.

A strip of geotextile 39 is deposited at the periphery of the quarry to cover the beams 28, the sides 111 and the periphery of the bottom 110. Planks edges 29 are then reported on the beams 28.

The lower layer 121 is deposited on the bottom 110. The upper layer 122 is then deposited on the layer 121.

The siphon 15 is then filled with water up to the regulation level NR. A balustrade 37 may be arranged around the tank 11.

7.2.3. Operation

During the rainy periods, the excess water in the soil 12 flows through the perforations 113 in the taps 13, in the pipe 14, then in the siphon 15. The siphon 15 overflows in the eye 16. The level of water water in the soil 12 is thus maintained at the NR regulation level

As the eye 16 fills, the water it contains flows through the overflow 161 into the storage tank 19. It is mixed with meteorite water from the roof 231 of the building 23. The tank 19 is connected to an overflow (not shown), the implementation of which avoids that it overflows.

During the summer periods, water stored in the tank 19 can be sprayed by the pump 24 and irrigation means 26 to maintain the water level in the soil 12.

The water spray on the soil surface can be triggered manually. It can also be triggered automatically when it is detected that the NR regulation level is not reached. A level sensor may in this case be implemented at the siphon 15 to control the implementation of the pump 24.

7.2.4. variants

The upper level S of the ground 12 may not extend in the plane of the upper level ST of the earth's surface 27.

In a variant illustrated in figure 4 and partly to the figure 3 , regulating ducts 36 may be placed horizontally, in particular along the longer sides of the tank 11 and where appropriate along the central axis of the tank parallel to the longest sides, below the level of the bottom 110 of the tank 11. The taps 13 'will then lead into these control lines 36. The control lines will lead into the siphon 15. These control lines allow to accelerate the process of regulation for a larger career area .

Peripheral drainage may not be implemented. It may also be implemented on only a portion of the periphery of the vessel 11.

Control boxes 40 may be connected to the pipes 36 or 14 for example to allow their uncoupling.

A ring may be slidably mounted on the outlet 153 of the siphon 15 so as to adjust the regulation level NR. Other means of adjusting the NR level may be implemented.

As just described, a soil stabilization device can be implemented within an equestrian career. It can also be implemented in a ride or in any other installation whose porous floor needs to be stabilized.

Claims (10)

1. Device (10) for stabilising a porous soil (12), the said device (10) comprising:

   - a part forming a watertight tank (11) which is intended to rest on a surface (PH)and to accommodate the said soil (12), the said part forming a tank (11) comprising four sides (111) and a bottom (110) through which at least one perforation (113) passes; and

   - an excess water conduit which forms a siphon (15) comprising an inlet (152) which is connected to the said at least one perforation (113),

   characterised in that the conduit comprises a portion (151) which extends essentially vertically and the outlet (153) of which discharges above the level of the said bottom (110) and below the upper level (S) of the said soil (12).
2. Device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the said bottom (110) has a plurality of perforations (113) passing through it, each of the said perforations (113) being connected to the said conduit that forms a siphon (15).
3. Device according to Claim 2, characterised in that the said perforations (113) are distributed uniformly over the said bottom (110).
4. Device according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the said soil (12) comprises at least one lower layer (121) made up of sand and an upper layer (122) made up of a mixture of sand and fibres.
5. Device according to any of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the said tank (11) is constituted by the superposition of a geotextile (30), a geomembrane (31) and a geocomposite (32) comprising a plurality of drains (321).
6. Device according to any of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that it comprises means (19) for storing water, the said outlet of the said siphon (15) discharging into the said storage means (19).
7. Device according to Claim 6, characterised in that the said storage means (19) are connected to means (25, 26, 27) for irrigating the said soil (12).
8. Device according to Claim 7, characterised in that the said means for irrigating comprise means (26, 27) for spraying water at the surface (S) of the said soil (12).
9. Device according to Claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the said storage means (19) comprise an inlet which is intended to be connected to means (231, 22, 21, 210,20) for recovering meteoric water.
10. Device according to any of Claims 1 to 9, characterised in that it comprises drainage means (33, 34, 35) which extend along at least part of the periphery of the said tank (11).

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